Integrated Prune Farming Practices (IPFP)

akaEnvironmentally Sound Prune

Systems (ESPS)

The Team

• Henry Andris• Rick Buchner• Cyndi Gilles • Brent Holtz• Karen Klonsky• Bill Krueger • Themis Michailides• Nick Mills • Franz Neiderholzer• Maxwell Norton

• Gary Obenauf• Bill Olson• Carolyn Pickel• Wilbur Reil• Ken Shackel• Steve Sibbett• Steve Southwick • Fred Thomas• Jed Walton• Lisa Zane

Overall Problem

Tighter regulations, loss of pesticides, natural resource issues and

economics are forcing the discovery of alternatives to traditional farming

practices.

The alternative practice being evaluated is monitoring and applying treatments only as needed using “Reduced Risk”

techniques. “If we can’t out gun ‘em, we will have to

out smart ‘em.”

Monitoring Protocol Created ValidatedAdditional Validation Needed

Extended

Best Management Practices (BMP) Y Y N YDormant Treatment Decision Guide Y Y N Y

Dormant Spur Evaluation Y Y N YSJS Traps Y Y N N

PTB Y Y N YOBLR Y Y N N

Mealy Plum Aphids Y Y N YLeaf Curl Plum Aphids Y Y N Y

Rust Y Y N YPresence/Absence mite sampling Y Y N Y

10-min search for mites Y Y N YONFIT Y N Y N

Irrigation Schedualing Y Y N YLeaf and Water analysis Y Y N Y

Early leaf analysis for K and N Y N Y N Reduced Rates of Insecticides for

Aphid control Y Y N YZinc for Aphid Control Y Y Y Y

What has the IPFP Project Accomplished?

prune

Aphid Life Cycle – Prune Aphids

Prune Phragmites/ Shasta daisy

F – gynoparaG – maleH – ovipara

Yellow Water Traps Used to MonitorFall Migration by Prune Aphids

Orchards monitored in Red Bluff, Corning (2), Chico, Sutter, Winters, Madera

LCPABrachycaudus helichrysi

MPAHyalopterus pruni

Sorting through the vast numbers of aphids trapped

to find prune aphids

0

40

80

120

160

200

17-S

ep

1-O

ct

15-O

ct

29-O

ct

12-N

ov

26-N

ov

10-D

ec

Num

ber o

f aph

ids

trapp

ed

MPA males

0

10

20

30

40

50

17-S

ep

1-O

ct

15-O

ct

29-O

ct

12-N

ov

26-N

ov

10-D

ec

LCPA males

MPA males

Fall Migration by Prune AphidsTiming of Male Migration

2001 2002

Biological Control of Mealy Plum AphidAphidius transcaspicus

Dormant Spur for Monitoring Scale and Aphid Eggs

Aphid Egg

San Jose Scale

Block Name: Date:spur

# LIVE SJS PARASITIZED SJS Live EFL APHID EGGS1234567891011121314151617181920

TotalTreatment 4 or more 4 or more 1 or morethreshold

SPURS WITH

If SJS level is less than 4 but more than 0 look at another 20 spurs. If at 4 or higher stop sampling and make treatment recommendation. If at 0 stop

sampling. Make treatment recommendation for other pest if above treatmemt threshhold

Aphid Orchard History Unknown Due to Past

Dormant Sprays?1

Orchard History or Spur Sample

Indicates Aphids? (No or Yes)

Scale Above

Threshold

"Reduced Risk" Treatment Options

"Conventional" Treatment

Yes No

Low rates of insecticides without oil.

OR 2X oil* (once at green tip

and 10 days later). OR

In-season oil.* OR

In-season insecticide

Insecticide + oil

Yes Yes Low rates of insecticides + oil

Insecticide + oil

No No Nothing Insecticide + oil

No Yes

Oil (low pop2) OR

Insecticide + oil (high pop2)

Insecticide + oil

Yes No

Low rates of insecticides without oil.

OR 2X oil* (once at green tip

and 10 days later). OR

In-season oil.* OR

In-season insecticide

Insecticide + oil

Yes YesLow rates of insecticides

+ oil Insecticide + oil

Delayed Dormant Treatment Decision Guide for Prune Orchards

* Oil alone is not effective for leaf curl plum aphid once the leaves are curled and will only suppress mealy plum aphid populations

1 To help determine the history of aphids in a dormant treated orchard:1) Carefully observe trees throughout the orchard during growing season for the presence of any aphids. OR2) Leave a few edge rows untreated and observe trees during the growing season for the presence of aphids.2 Low scale population is when 10 – 20 percent of the spurs have live scale.

High scale population is when more than 20 percent of the spurs have live scale.

Problem: Possible Peach Twig Borer (PTB)

Solutions:1. Every other year dormant spray2. Bloom Bt. Sprays3. Monitoring to decide treatment needs

The Technique (IPFP Guide page 17)

If a Dormant/Bloom PTB – Monitoring not necessaryUse PTB pheromone trap to identify BiofixLook at 15 fruit from 80 trees (1200) at 400 DDDry market – Treat if over 2% larvae/damageFresh market – Treat if any larvae/damage present

Ten-minute Search for Web- Spinning Mites

(IPFP Guide page 21)

Sample weekly from June 1st until July 15th

Search known hot spotsTwo 5 minute searches per 40 acre blockRate mites and predators

Web-spinning Mite Rating

1. Light – An occasional web-spinning mite on occasional leaf. Web-spinning mites generally hard to find. Example: less than one web-spinning mites per leaf.

2. Light-moderate – Web-spinning mites easier to find, but no colonies of web- spinning mites, no webbing and few eggs. Example: two to four web- spinning mites per leaf.

3. Moderate – Some leaves with no web-spinning mites others with small colonies of web-spinning mites with eggs easy to find, but very little, if any, webbing.

4. Moderate-heavy – Web-spinning mites on most leaves, colonies with eggs and webbing on some leaves

5. Heavy - Lots of web-spinning mites on most leaves. Colonies of web- spinning mites, eggs and webbing abundant.

Predator rating:1. Low – Hard to find. Example: less than one predator per six leaves. 3. Moderate – Easier to find. Example: one predator per three leaves.5. Heavy – One or more predators per leaf.

Treatment Threshold

Treat if:Light/moderate web spinning mites / low predatorsModerate web spinning mites / moderate to high predators

Webspinning Mite and Predator Mite Population Levels in a Butte County Orchard - 2003

012345

6/3/20036/10/20036/17/20036/23/20036/30/2003

7/7/20037/15/20037/29/2003

8/4/2003

Low

- H

igh

Mites

Mite Pred

Treatment Rec

Treatment Applied

Orchard Monitoring to Determine the Need for Prune Rust Treatments

(IPFP Guide page 24)Check leaves May 1st through July 15th

Check known rust “hot spots”Select 40 random trees / 40 acresConfirm rust with sporulationTreat as soon as possible once infection is found (May 1 – July 15)

Development of Rust in the Four Treated Orchards

0.00%

4.00%

8.00%

12.00%

5/2/20

025/8

/2002

5/16/2

002

5/23/2

002

5/28/2

002

6/11/2

002

6/17/2

002

6/25/2

002

7/9/20

02

Tree

s w

ith R

ust

1234

No Defoliation at Harvest Treated

The Next Steps for the IPFP Project

• Continue to find “Reduced Risk” techniques for aphid control

• Present information developed in a BMP format

• Extend all information to PCA’s and clientele